Door operating device



'3, 1 36 J. A. PLATT ET AL, 2,059,904

DOOR OPERATING DEVICE INVENTORS JOHN A. PLATT AND FRANK Iv. s/vm aATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 3, 1936 UNlTED STATES 2,059,904 noon OPERATINGDEVICE John A. Platt, Akron, and Frank N. Sneyd,- Stow, Ohio ApplicationJune 12, 1934, Serial N9. 730,19

10 Claims.

This invention relates to a new and improved type of door operatingdevice and. has for its primary object to provide such a device which issimple in construction, eflicient in operation and inexpensive tomanufacture.

The device is preferably adapted for use in conjunction with a pivotallysupported door and operates to maintain the door in either closed oropen position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the typereferred to which normally acts upon the door to urge it toward closedposition up to a certain point in its opening movement and beyond thispoint tends to urge the door toward its open position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this typewherein the same resilient or yieldable force cooperates with the doorto maintain the latter in both its closed and open positions.

With the objects above indicated and other objects hereinafter explainedin view, the invention consists in the construction and combination ofelements hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings: 7 Figure 1 is an inside elevation of theupper portion of a door and operating device embodying the presentinvention; Figure 2 is a sectional ,view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1showing the door in closed position indicated in full lines and partlyopen position as indicated in dotted lines; a

Figure 3 is a sectional view similar to Figure 2 showing the door inopen position indicated .in full lines and partly open position asindicated in dotted lines;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Figure 2 showing amodified form of operating device embodying the invention; r Figure 5 isan inside elevation of the upper portion of a door and a still furthermodified form of the operating device embodying the invention;

and

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Figure 5. g T I In thedrawings a .door operating device embodying the present invention isillustrated showing the. preferred forms and comprises a frame In orother suitable wall structure having a door opening H provided thereinof any desirable size, depending upon the purpose for which structure isto be used. A door [2 is pivotally connected at one side to the adjacentside of the frame Ill by means of hinges l3, only one of which is $5herein shown. and is' adapted to normally close the door opening I] ,allof this structure as heretofore recited being of theusual constructionand ,of no pertinency with respect to the invention aside from its.cooperation with the door operating device. v

Preferably at the upper portion of the door adjacentthe hinge l3, abracket I4 is connected to the inner surface of the door by screws l5and this bracket has a laterally extending flange I6 at its upperportion, A rigid armor member I! has one of its ends pivotally,connected at [B to. the flange l6 and maygbe detachably connected bymeansvof a nut and bolt.

A yieldable member I9 of elastic material as shown in, Figures .1; to 3and of any desirable degree of elasticity is disposed upon the underside, of the door opening and has its opposite ends connected at 20 and.ill with the frame or wall structure. This member l9 preferably extendssubstantially in parallelism with the door I2 when the latter is'inclosed position. The other .end of therigid member I! is pivotallyconnected at 22 to the yieldable member!!! .at a point he- .tweenthefixed outer ends and the connection may be detachably effected by meansof a nut and bolt.-- The yieldable memberuls should preferablyv betensionedslightlyso that no slack appears when in its normal positionand the portion 23 between the end-connection 20 and the pivotalconnection .22 shouldbe under greater tension than the portion 24 sothat it will constantly exert a pull or force on the rigid member H tonormally tend to urge and maintain the door in closed position.

When the door I2 is in closed position as shown byfull lines in Figures1 and 2, the rigid member ll. should be disposed beneath the yieldablemember l9 and extend substantially in longi .tudinal alignment whichordinarily would positiontheaxes of-the connections 20 and 2|, the axisof the pivotalconnection l8 and the axis of the pivotal connection 22all in one vertical plane. This conditionis of course preferable, butslight variations will not interfere with the efiicient operation of thedevices If more initial pull is to be exerted upon the door when inclosed position, thepiVot-IS shouldbe located ,inwardly of the planeextending through the pivots and 2 l, that is farther-away from, theinner side of the door.

A s' the door. is forcibly moved toward open siti on as indicated bydotted linesin Figure, 2, the portion. F3 ofv the'yieldable member Illis"stretched anair i th r tensioned, thus exerting l 9? 5Qr -.l l 'aihe Ouer. said th rigid member I] which tends to move the door 12 about itspivot l3 to closed position and will so move the door in the event thedoor is released. This condition exists during the first part of 5 theopening movement of the door or until moved to a position such as isindicated by dotted lines in Figure 3 where in the axis of the pivot 13,the axis of the pivot l8 and the axis of the pivot 22 are all ina=common plane indicated by the line 25. positioninziay be termeda deadcenter in which the tension in the portion 23 of the yieldable member I9has no effect upon the rigid member I1 and consequently uponthe door.

When, however, the door I2 is movedjust-beyond this so-called deadcenter,-,the ,tensioned portion 23 of the yieldable member 19 exerts :a

push or force on the end of the rigid member l1 and moves the door toitsfully openposition as indicated in full lines in Figure 3 unassisted.

In moving the door from its open position to its closed position,-thesame action 'takes-iplaoe that is, that the door is forcibly movedtoward closed position against the 'tensionof the portion 23 ofthe=yildable member l9, -and-lshould the door be released it will bereturned toits open-position -up-to the so-ca'lled-deadcenter position.When the door -is moved past this=dead center position and released, thetension of 'the portion 23 exerts 'a pull or force -on the "end-of therigid member i whichimturn causes the :doorto move about 'its' pivot too'losedpos'ition.

It-is not, of course, necessary 'to have the yieldable member l9 made ofelastic material, 'although this a'flords a ver-y'inexpensive --andsimple-construction. Any-means forexertinga pull or "force upon the=end0f the-rigid member i l will suflice, otherembodimentsbeing illustratedin Figures 41:0 6 inclusive.

In 'Figure 4, the yieldable member comprises .40 -a pair of coiledsprings 26. and 2:1 arranged in a manner similar to "the yieldablemember -1-9 :heretofore described. These coiled -springs have loopedouter ends 28- an'd 28 respectively which =are-oonnected=to the underside of :the door: open- --i-ng by "screws :or 1other suitable means.'The inner ends are also looped at 30 and 3| respectively and the-'innerloopedends-'are connected -=together by 'a bolt and nut and tothis connec- =-tion the outer-end of the rigid member! =1 -may bepivotallyconneoted. The spring 2B may -be of a "greater tensionthan thespring 21 and-the opera-tion is precisely the same as the arrangementshown in Figures 1 =to *3 and heretofore described. In 5 and6,'-a-sti1lf1u'ther modification is illustrated wherein'the yieldable 'membercom-*prisas -a *spring 32, a flexible cable or rope L33 u'n'tilaweig'ht 34.In this-construction'one-end'of the spring 32' is connected to the-underside of 'the :door opening at '-3 5 by a screw 1 or other suitmlblemeans. The-cable 33 ha-sone end connected to the free end of 'the spring"32 as indicated 'at 36 and passes over asheave 31 rotatably-mounted onthe frame *or other structure-as shown in Figure 5. The weight =34-isconnected to *the opposite-end of the cableand'theiree end of the rigidmember 1-1 connected-to the cable adjacent the inner end of the spring.In the ar- -rangement as the door is-forcibly 'movedthe weight -3lexerts -a 'pull' orforce upon :the free end of the rigid member tends tourge the door either toward closed positionior 'open posi- "tion,depending, of "course, upon"wvhe t l1er"the position ofthe door isoneside or ithe 'other with respect to the so-called dead center.

-Wlille wehave de'scribedthe preferred embodiments of the invention, itis to be understood that changes and modifications may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a frame having an opening therein, a door pivotallymounted on said frame and adapted to close said opening, a rigidmemberrhaving =one end pivotally-connected to said door .adjacent :its.pivot, .and a ,iyieldable .member having its opposite ends connected tosaid frame, :the opposite end of said rigid member being pivotallyconnected to said yieldable member between its-connected ends, the axisof the pivotal .connection between said door and rigid member ,beingnormally disposed on or inwardly of a plane extending through theconnected opposite ends of saidyiel'dablemember.

.2. .In combination, a frame having an opening therein, a door pivotallymounted on said frame and adapted to close said opening, a rigid' memberhaving one end pivotally-connected to =said door adjacent its pivot,yieldablemeans supported by said -'frame and having two 'pointsofconnection therewith, and means for connecting the other end ofsaidrigid member 'to said-yieldable *means between its points of connectionwhereby the opening of said door is 'resisted, the axis of the pivotalconnection between said door and rigid member being'normally disposed onor'inwardly-of a plane extending through the "points of conn'ectiononsaid yieldable means.

3. In'combination, a'fra'me having an opening therein, a door "pivotallymounted on said frame and adapted to close said openings. rigid memberhaving one end pivotally connected to said door adjace'nt its pivot, anda yieldable member having its'opposite ends connected to said frame, theopposite-endof said rigid member being -pivotally connected to saidyieldable member between its connectedends, the axis of the pivotalconnection between said door and rigid member beingnormallydisposed'onorinWardly-of'a'plane extendingthrough "the'connectedoppositeends of said yieldable member, said "yieldable'member tending to urgesaid doortoclosed position dur- 'ing the first 'part of its openingmovement.

4. In combination, a *frame having an opening therein a door pivotallymounted on said -frame'andadapted'to Close'said'opening, a rigid memberhaving one-end pivotally connected to said door adjacent itspivotya'ndayieldable'member having its opposite ends connected to said framextheopposite end of said rigidmerriber being-"p'ivotally' connected to saidyieldable member between its connected ends, the "axis of the "pivotal'connection between said door and 'rigid *member being normally disposedon or inwardly of a plane extendingthroug'h the connectedopposjite endsofsaid yieldable member, said yield- "ablemember tending to 'urge-saiddoor to closed position during-the 'firs'tpart of its opening'move-.ment, but tending to urge said door to .open

"position during the latter part 'of .its opening movement.

"5. In combination, aframe having 'an' opening therein, a door pivotallymounted on'said frame and adaptedrto closesaidopening, a rigid memof thepivotal connection between said door and rigid member being normallydisposed on or inwardly of a plane extending through the connectedopposite ends of said yieldable member.

6. In combination, a frame having an opening therein, a door pivotallymounted on said frame and adapted to close said opening, a rigid memberhaving one end pivotally connected to said door adjacent its pivot, anda yieldable member having its opposite ends connected to said frame, theopposite end of said rigid member being pivotally connected to saidyieldable member between its connected ends, the axis of the pivotalconnection between said door and rigid member being normally disposed onor inwardly of a plane extending through the connected opposite ends ofsaid yieldable member, said yieldable member tending to urge said doorto closed position in its opening movement until the pivotal axes of thedoor and rigid member are in a common plane after which upon furthermovement of said door said yieldable member tends to urge said door toopen position.

'7. In combination, a frame having an opening therein, a door pivotallymounted on said frame and adapted to close said opening, a rigid memberhaving one end pivotally connected to said door adjacent its pivot, andyieldable means connected to said frame at spaced points between whichthe other end of said rigid member is pivotally connected, the axis ofthe pivotal connection between said door and rigid member being normallydisposed on or inwardly of a plane extending through the points ofconnection on said yieldable means, said yieldable means being extendedupon the forceful opening of said door to thereby return said door toclosed position when the latter is released.

8. In combination, a frame having an opening therein, a door pivotallymounted on said frame and adapted to close said opening, a rigid memberhaving one end pivotally connected to said door adjacent its pivot, andan elastic member having its opposite ends connected to said frame, theopposite end of said rigid member being pivotally connected to saidelastic member between its connected ends, the axis of the pivotalconnection between said door and rigid member being normally disposed onor inwardly of a plane extending through the connections on the oppositeends of said elastic member.

9. In combination, a frame having an opening therein, a door pivotallymounted on said frame and adapted to close said opening, a rigid memberhaving one end pivotally connected to said door adjacent its pivot, anda spring having its opposite ends connected to said frame, the oppositeend of said rigid member being pivotally connected to said springbetween its connected ends, the axis of the pivotal connection betweensaid door and rigid member being normally disposed on or inwardly of aplane extending through the connections on the opposite ends of saidspring.

10. In combination, a frame having an opening therein, a door pivotallymounted on said frame and adapted to close said opening, a rigid memberhaving one end connected to said door adjacent its pivot, and a pair ofsprings having their outer ends connected to said frame and their inneradjacent ends connected together, the opposite end of said rigid memberbeing pivotally connected to the interconnected ends of said springs,the axis of the pivotal connection between said door and rigid memberbeing normally disposed on or inwardly of a plane extending through theconnections on the outer ends of said springs.

JOHN A. PLATT. FRANK N. SNEYD.

